Psychological stressors may play a bigger role than physical ailments in a patient’s likelihood of developing long-lasting COVID symptoms after contracting the coronavirus, according to a study published Wednesday in JAMA Psychiatry. In a cohort study of 54,960 people interviewed over 19 months beginning in April 2020, “depression, anxiety, perceived stress, loneliness, and worry about COVID-19 were prospectively associated with a 1.3- to 1.5-fold increased risk of self-serving. reported post-COVID-19 conditions, as well as an increased risk of disruption of daily living related to post-COVID-19 conditions,” the researchers found. “Our results should not be misinterpreted as supporting a hypothesis that post-COVID-19 conditions are psychosomatic,” they said. “First, among respondents who developed conditions after COVID-19, more than 40% had no discomfort at baseline. Second, the symptoms of post-COVID-19 conditions are fundamentally different from the symptoms of mental illness.”
The third Democratic senator this week has tested positive for COVID-19 New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez is the third Democratic senator this week to test positive for COVID-19, his office announced Wednesday. “The senator is in good spirits and incredibly grateful to be fully vaccinated and boosted,” Francisco Pelayo, his communications director, tweeted. Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff announced he had tested positive for the virus earlier Wednesday during a planned eight-day trip to India, while Nevada Sen. Jackie Rosen on Tuesday said she had tested positive. All three are isolating and working remotely, per CDC guidance. The Senate returns to Capitol Hill this week after its summer break and is expected to hold multiple votes. Their abscesses can throw off the 50-50 House if votes are cast along party lines.
Critics decry bill that punishes doctors who spread COVID lies Gov. Gavin Newsom has until the end of the month to sign or veto a bill that would make California the first state to allow regulators to punish doctors who give patients false information about COVID-19 — but which critics say would be a free speech nightmare . State law already prohibits doctors from violating the accepted standard of medical care by lying to or abusing patients about any illness, including COVID-19. Doctors who do this risk being penalized by state medical boards or losing their license altogether. Read more about AB2098, which specifically cites COVID-19, and why some believe it infringes on doctors’ rights to express their medical opinions.
New York lifts mask requirement for subways and buses New Yorkers will no longer be required to wear masks to prevent the spread of the coronavirus on subways, buses and other public transportation, Gov. Kathy Hochsul announced Wednesday. Citing improving COVID-19 trends and the release of updated vaccines targeting Omicron sub-variants, he said the order that took effect in April 2020 will expire immediately. “We think we’re in a good spot right now, especially if New Yorkers take advantage of this boost,” Hochul said in a briefing. “So we’re getting back to not just a new normal, but a normal-normal, and that’s what we’re trying to do.” Masks are still required in nursing homes and hospitals across the state.
Stress and depression increase long-term chances of COVID, study finds Psychological stressors may play a bigger role than physical ailments in a patient’s likelihood of developing long-lasting COVID symptoms after contracting the coronavirus, according to a study published Wednesday in JAMA Psychiatry. In a cohort study of 54,960 people interviewed over 19 months beginning in April 2020, “depression, anxiety, perceived stress, loneliness, and worry about COVID-19 were prospectively associated with a 1.3- to 1.5-fold increased risk of self-serving. reported post-COVID-19 conditions, as well as an increased risk of disruption of daily living related to post-COVID-19 conditions,” the researchers found. “Our results should not be misinterpreted as supporting a hypothesis that post-COVID-19 conditions are psychosomatic,” they said. “First, among respondents who developed conditions after COVID-19, more than 40% had no discomfort at baseline. Second, the symptoms of post-COVID-19 conditions are fundamentally different from the symptoms of mental illness.”
New Bay Area COVID cases at lowest point since April As of Tuesday, the Bay Area reported an average of 15 daily coronavirus infections per 100,000 residents, according to state data tracked by The Chronicle, while California’s seven-day average dropped to 17 per 100,000. These are the lowest figures recorded since mid-April before the summer surge in Omicron BA.5 took the numbers to 61 per 100,000 and 56 per 100,000, respectively. The statewide test positive rate is also down to 7.5 percent, but remains well above the 1.5 percent average recorded in April. The state averages 36 COVID-19-related deaths per day, including six in the Bay Area. There are 2,983 patients with confirmed coronavirus infections statewide and 546 in the Bay Area. The state reported the same numbers in June.
The FDA urges vaccinators to read labels before administering updated boosters The US Food and Drug Administration wants to make sure people are getting the right vaccines when they order an updated bivalent booster. On Wednesday, the agency issued new guidelines for vaccinators to help them differentiate the new doses of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines from their previous versions of the vaccine. “It is important to read labels carefully to differentiate vaccines,” the agency said, providing a visual guide to the updated labels.
US coronavirus deaths have declined since peaking in mid-August U.S. coronavirus deaths are again expected to “probably decline” over the next four weeks, according to aggregate projections used by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Models show that between 1,700 and 4,400 new deaths could be reported in the week ending October 1. An average of 342 Americans are now dying from COVID-19 per day, down from a summer peak of 486 recorded in mid-August. Dr. Rochelle Valensky, director of the CDC, said during a briefing yesterday that the toll is still “very high for a vaccine-preventable disease.”
USDA Releases Updated Animal Control Panel Monitoring Virus Variants The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Inspection Service will launch an updated monitoring information dashboard for coronavirus variants detected in animals, according to an announcement Wednesday. Agency scientists have so far confirmed cases of SARS-CoV-2 in several animal species, including cats, dogs, animals in zoos and aquariums, mink, white-tailed deer and mule deer. The USDA said the purpose of the dashboard is to better protect animal and human health, while noting that “there is currently no evidence that animals play a significant role in the spread of the virus to humans.”
California wanted to end homeless shelters. Instead, COVID reinvented them Two and a half years into a pandemic that has disrupted the housing market, fueled income inequality and swelled the ranks of people on the streets in many California communities, the state and San Francisco are rethinking their relationship with shelters in a myriad of ways.
No recall rush is needed for the newly infected, the official says Those newly infected with the coronavirus can wait a few months to receive the new micron-targeting vaccine boosters, according to White House COVID-19 coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha. Studies of previous variants have shown that vaccinated individuals infected with the virus gain substantial protection against the virus, although it wanes over time. “If you had a recent infection or were recently vaccinated, it makes sense to wait a few months,” Tza said at a press conference on Tuesday, according to CNBC. Everyone else 12 and older should get a booster shot as soon as possible, especially the elderly, the immunocompromised and others with medical conditions, he said.
New grant available for Californians who lost their jobs during COVID California is offering state residents who lost their jobs due to the COVID-19 pandemic a one-time grant of $2,500 for “re-adjustment, upskilling and access to education or training programs” to get back into the workforce. The new Golden State Education and Training Grant Program, announced last week, is available to eligible students enrolled at any California community college, California State University or University of California campus. The program operates outside of the traditional student financial aid system and uses a separate standalone application that you can access at “The need to provide support and pathways to new opportunities for workers displaced by changes in the economy has never been clearer or more critical , that’s why we’re here today,” Marlene Garcia, executive director of the California Student Aid Commission, said in a news release. “This program can meet a key need for Californians in the short term while catalyzing greater collaboration in serving this population and demonstrating effective means of providing financial support to them as they position themselves for successful careers.”
Pandemic Issues: Should I Have Taken Paxlovid? A Chronicle reader writes in…
